the Lord's anointed--that were to destroy yourself for ever."

"A curse," said Affonso Henriques, "perishes with him that
uttered it." He could reason loosely, you see, this hot-blooded,
impetuous young cutter of Gordian knots. "And it imports above
all else that the curse should be lifted from my city of
Coimbra."

"It shall be, my son, as soon as you show penitence and a
Christian submission to the Holy Father's will," said the
undaunted Cardinal.

"God give me patience with you," Affonso Henriques answered him.
"Listen to me now, lord Cardinal." And he leaned forward on his
dagger, burying the point of it some inches into the deal table.
"That you should punish me with the weapons of the Faith for the
sins that you allege against me I can understand and suffer.
There is reason in that, perhaps. But will you tell me what
reasons there can be in punishing a whole city for an offence
which, if it exists at all, is mine alone?--and in punishing it
by a curse so terrible that all the consolations of religion are
denied those true children of Mother Church, that no priestly
office may be performed within the city, that men and women may
not approach the altars of the Faith, that they must die
unshriven with their sins upon them, and so be damned through all
eternity? Where is the reason that urges this?"

The cardinal's smile had changed from one of benignity to one of
guile.